Avoiding the ‘cowboys’…
You may be worried about accidentally employing ‘cowboy’ tradespeople. After all, you will probably only find out when it is too late; when the job is well under way. How to spot them? Not many will be sporting a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat and riding a horse.
I don’t think you can ever be totally sure about your chosen tradespeople until the work is successfully finished, unless you have used them before. Below, there are some common sense steps worth following…
Ask friends and associates to recommend someone. Not a surefire guarantee but at least you’ll know that they have at least one satisfied customer!
Ask about their qualifications. You may not be told the truth if the person is unqualified, but you will have the chance to assess their response to your question! Gas Safe Registered gas installers will be able to show you a credit card sized identity card bearing their photograph. There is a growing problem in the industry with plumbers claiming to be Gas Safe registered when they are not. Failure to produce a Gas Safe Register identity card when requested, complete with photograph of the member, is a really bad sign. At BestHeat.co.uk we are registered with Gas Safe, OFTEC, BPEC Solar and BPEC Unvented with cards and certifications to prove it.
Check they belong to a professional trade organisation. This generally combines with the above. To become a member of trade organisation, qualifications have to be produced. Make sure the organisation is for a specific trade. The more generalised organisations (with names like, for example, the Federation of Master Tradesmen) are getting a reputation for having commission-paid recruiting agents (salesmen) who allow admission to anyone who pays the substantial membership fee. At BestHeat.co.uk we’re members of trade specific Benchmark Scheme and Heat and Hot Water Industry Council.
Ask for references – and take them up. Any competent trades person should be able to produce some satisfied customers. Previous customers will be pleased to tell you if being a customer was a good experience! Beware of those who consistently fail to put you in touch with satisfied customers, however credible the reason for not doing so. At BestHeat.co.uk we can provide you with references on request. In addition, you can find some independent reviews about us at Boiler Guide website.
Do they advertise in Yellow Pages? It is not widely known that Yellow Pages advertisers have to to meet certain qualifications to have their adverts published. Advertisers must have a premises which will be visited by a Yellow Pages representative. This means there is a known address should any legal action become necessary. They also have to have remained in business for the time between placing an advertising order and publication of the next year’s directory. This disqualifies the worst of the ‘cowboy’ element from having a Yellow Pages advertisement. It goes without saying that BestHeat.co.uk advertise on Yell.com.
Check they have public liability insurance. Insurance pays if the trades person causes you loss due to their negligence. Many tradespeople are not insured as insurance is very expensive. At BestHeat.co.uk we hold full business public liability and employee insurance.
Never pay more than 50% deposit. Some reputable companies ask for entire payment in advance – this is just ridiculous! There’s no point to beat around the bushes on that one: nothing motivates the business more than money. If anything will go completely pear-shape at least you have a decent leverage in form of unpaid balance. If you pay everything upfront you have to rely on tradesman honesty (and let the force be with you on that one!). Equally, payment of decent amount of deposit is perfectly normal. At BestHeat.co.uk we ask for 35% of total value of the contract.
